Tie-plate.



J. T. MARKHAM.

TIE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

1,06%775. Patented May 6, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J T MARKHAM.

TIE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912,

Patented May 6, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nnrrnn STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

J'QEEPH T. MARKHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SELLERS MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPQRA'IION OF ILLINOIS.

TIE-PLATE.

accents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1913.

Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,084.

To .aZZ whom; it may concern .of-rnetal is such as to give a maximum of strength and durability at a minimum of manufacturing cost.

A further object is to provide a plate which will'be'so formed on its upper surface that if water, brine from the brine tanks of the car, or other liquid should work under the rail base it will immediately be drained off the plate instead of remaining there and causing the plate to rust out. I

In the production of tie plates. the metal isthe principal item of cost. As tie plates areused in very large quantities any slight saving in the amount of metal that goes into each plate which can-be effected without detriment to thestrength, durability and general nsefulness'of the plate may result in-a very considerable saving to the railroad: using the type of plate in question. Withthis in view plates have been producedv ofivarious designs involving the recessing or:channeling of that portion of the plate which lies under the rail base. So far as I am aware; however, no plates so recessed or channeled have as yet been produced in which the advantage of saving of metal is not-equaled or even outweighed by the dis advantagesresulting from the existence of thechannels in the finished platen For example, plates have been formed with channels extending from edge to edge of the plate longitudinally with respect to the rail but this construction weakens the plate in the very respect inwhich it should be strong. A tie plate always has a tendency, well recognizedby experienced trackmen to bend on longitudinal 'lines' The weakening of the plate along'longitudinal lines by providing its upper surface with channels increases the likelihood of the plates becomingbent in this'way after they have been sub ected to use for some. little time. It is not practical to run the channels crosswise of the plate from side'to side as a tie plate should have a smooth footing for. the extreme edges of the railbase. Otherwise the vibration of the rail will cause pieces to be chipped or broken out of the comparatively thin edges of the base flanges. It has been proposed to form the under surface of the plate beneath the rail base with pockets or recesses separated by ribs having the maximum thickness of theplate and a considerable saving in metal can be effected by this construction. However, if rain or brine from the brine tanks of the cars, or other liquid works in under the base of the rail, which happens not-infrequently, it is collected and retained in these pockets or recesses and eventually causes the rusting out of the plate.

The tie plate which I have invented and lay claim to herein provides an arrangement of recesses in the upper surface of the plate which, while making a very considerable saving in metal, in the first place does not materially weaken the plate, and, in the second place, provides for readily draining the upper surface of the plate of any water that may come into contact with it. The channels, according to my invention, extend to the edges of the plate under the rail base so that the plate is properly drained, but are so arranged that a body of metal of maximum thickness is left at the center of the plate which extends transversely across the same so as to prevent any bending along lines longitudinal with respect to the rail.

The invention is illustrated, in certain preferred embodiments, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of one form of plate; Fig. 2, a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3, a sectional View taken on line 33-of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and Figs. l, 5 and 6 are perspective views of three modifications.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, which show a form of tie plate which best embodies my invention. as I now view the matter, A designates a tie plate and B the base flange 'of the railsupported thereon. The tie plate is formed with the usual shoulder or abutment C and the usual spike holes D. Extending inwardly from the forward and rear edges of the plate are the longitudinally extending recesses E and outwardly from these recesses the transverse recesses F; the arrangement being such as to provide a rib G or body of metal of manimnrn-thiekness in the middle or the plate which extends from side to side thereof. This rib interupts the lines of relative weakness resulting iron; the channels E a'ndell'ectiyely prevents the plate from being bent-under the stresses, well known to Preferably the L-shaped channels made by the pairs out recesses E, F, gradually deepen as the edge of the plate is appreached; This facilitates the draining of the plate under ordinary conditions. The feature is of greater importance when, as often happens, the plate instead of being level is'canted up hn one side as, for example, when used on a track banked for a curve. In such case it these channels were o't'unitorm depth through outthe inner ends of. the channels on one side of the plate would pocket any water that might find its way into them.

Fig. e shows a modified arrangement of the recesses or drainage channels. The plate here shown and designated 5 is provided with the longitudinally attending channels K each extending inwardly tron: the edges" of the plate and connected by thetransverse recesses L so that, as in the other form or plate, a rib of maximum thickness, designated 1V, is provided which extends across the plate from side to side. These channels have a downward slope from the middle of the plate to its edges:

In the plate ll shown in the chan nels O across the plat from the forward edge to the rear edge but by form ing the channels With the angul rjogs, as shown, tinuous longitudinal lines. In other words, the body of metal P, of maximum 'thi :kness, is provided which extends across the plate, though not from one footing to the other, and. akes the strains which would otherwise be likely to bend. the plate. In Fig; 6-1 have shown .a somewhat. similar arrangement. Theplate Q is formed-with parallel angular channels l? w h, l l g' from one edge of the plate to the other, do not, because of their angular character, result in'undes-irable weakness.

1' laim:

l. A tie plate formed on that part of its upper surl 'ace'covered by the base of the rail with recesses extendinglongitudinally with respect to rail and terminating at the transverse edges of the plate, and with transversely extending recesses communicating with the longitudinal recesses; said recesses being disposed so as to provide smooth e5 bearings for the edges of the rail base and the plate is not weakened on -conof the rail with a recess extending longit-udinally with respect to the rail and. terminatingat one end at the edge of the plate, and

with a transverse recess communicating with said longitudinal recess so as to provide a continuous drain channel extending to the edge of the plate and so that a body of metal of maximum. thickness is provided e2:- tending transversely of the plate beneath the rail base, said drain. channel being shallower at its inner endthan at the outer end substantially as described.

3. A tie plate formed on that part or its upper surface which is covered by the base of the rail with a recess extending lon gitudinally with respect to the rail and terminating at one end'at-the edge of the plate, and with a transverse recess communicating With said longitudinal recess so as to provide a continuous drain channel extending to the edge of the plate and so that a body of metal of maximum thickness is provided extending. transversely of the plate beneath therail base, said transverse recess vbeing formed so that it slopes downwardly into the longitudinal recess, sub-v stantially as described.

4-. ladle plate formed on that part of its upper surrace'which is covered by thebase of the rail with pairs of longitudinal recesses extending from the forward and rear edges of the plate, respectivelyytoward the center thereof, and'with transverse recesses extending from said longitudinal recesses toward the sides of the plate, said recesses being. so arrangedas to provide a central rib of maximum thickness extending across the plate from side to side.

5. A tie plate formed on thatvv part of its upper surface Whichis covered by the base of the rail with pairs of longitudma. recesses extending from the forward and rear edges of the plate, respectivel toward the center thereof, and with transverse recesses extending from said longitudinal recesses towardthe oi? the plate, said recesses being so arranged. as to provide a central rib of maximum thickness extending acres the plate from'side to side, the depth or said transverse rec'essses being diminished in the directions toward-the edges of the plate.

6.. A tie plate formed on that part f its upper {surface which iscovered by the bgse of rail with .recessses extending transversely Wi respect to the rail and, con

' .g'therevvith, recesses extending 1011 naiity with respect to the rail 'Which @115 of the plate, said recesses being: ..,np0se2 as prevade bOdlGS of mammal 5e i1; clepth toward their termination of maximum thiqimess beneath the center of'th-e rail base andh'beneath the outer edges thereof. v

JOSEPH T. MARKHAM. YS' i-tnesses L. A. FALKENBERG, G. Y SKINNER, 

